"Let a Person Examine Himself" -- 1 Corinthians 11:27-34

The Twentieth in a Series of Sermons on 1 Corinthians

Our text contains a warning which should give us all a moment’s pause.  Paul warns that unless we examine ourselves before we come to table of the Lord, we risk coming under God’s judgment, and as a result, getting sick or even dying.  Now that I have your attention, we are a church which celebrates weekly communion, therefore this is a passage with which we need to wrestle and consider with great care.  But great care is not fear.  Since Jesus has died for our sins (taking the covenant curse which we deserve upon himself), we need not fear coming to the table of the Lord because we are sinners and are struggling with our sins.  But we do need to examine ourselves in the matter prescribed by Paul, and that is the theme of this sermon–how do we properly examine ourselves before we come to the table of the Lord?

We are making our way through 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, where Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for the way in which they were observing the Lord’s Supper.  As we saw when we tackled verses 17-26 of this same chapter, this is an important passage, because in it we find the oldest account of the Lord’s Supper anywhere in the New Testament, written by Paul about A.D. 54, a decade or so before any of the canonical gospels had been written.  Give this early date, this passage provides an invaluable window into how the apostolic church worshiped just twenty years after the life and ministry of Jesus.  Throughout this section of First Corinthians (chapters 11-14), it is clear that the early church focused upon the preaching of Christ crucified, followed by the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.  No doubt, this was the ordinary Lord’s Day practice of the apostolic churches.

As we read through this chapter, it is readily apparent that Paul is fit to be tied with the Corinthians.  Just as with Jewish Passover, the celebration of the Lord’s Supper took place within the context of a fellowship meal after the worship service had been conducted.  But in Corinth, the church’s celebration of the Lord’s Supper had sadly degenerated into something like what went on in one of the city’s pagan temples or guild halls.  Some people were not waiting for others to be served and ate all the food which had been prepared, leaving the poor without anything to eat.  Others were drinking all the wine, getting drunk, and behaving in an unruly manner.  Paul is disgusted by this behavior and rebukes the congregation accordingly.  He has nothing good to say about this (“I do not commend you”) and is even worried that the Supper is actually doing more harm than good.  Things have gotten so bad, Paul can even say, “when you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat” (or at least as it was instituted by Christ and taught to the Corinthians by Paul).

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

US 395 and The Southern Pacific Narrow Gauge Railroad

I've always loved trains.  During the winter of 1960, my folks stopped in Independence CA (in the Eastern Sierras on US 395) to take my picture in front of the then recently-retired 1911 Baldwin-built narrow gauge locomotive #18.  Known as the "Slim Princess," #18 along with her sister #9, (now in the Laws, CA, museum) were the last operable Southern Pacific narrow gauge steam locomotives.  My dad took this picture with his old Polaroid camera in 20 degree weather.  But there I am (about 6 yrs. of age), getting my photo taken and freezing my rear-end off.

My wife and I have made countless trips to the Eastern Sierras through the years, and my two sons always had to stop and look at #18.  Those of you who frequent the Eastern Sierras will know exactly where and what I mean.  When he was a toddler, my oldest son (now almost 26) wanted his picture taken in the same spot where my parents took a picture of me.  We obliged.  This picture was taken about 1990.  

My reason for posting these photos is let those of you who love US 395 (and its beauty and history) know that #18 may actually live again.  A group of railfans (from throughout the West) along with local historians (of the Eastern Sierras and the Owens Valley) are in the process of restoring #18, and may actually have it running again in a few years. 

Here's the link to the website of the Carson and Colorado Railway (Click Here).  The folks doing the restoration are making remarkable progress.  Next time you head from So Cal to Mammoth, Tahoe, or Reno, you won't see #18 in its familiar park setting in Independence (much of it is being rebuilt off the highway).  But perhaps one day in the not too distant future you just might able to watch it run between Bishop and Laws under full steam. 

And, Lord willing, one day I'll post a picture of me with my grandkids in front of a fully restored #18, as we are about to go for a ride. 

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (May 20-26)

Sunday Morning (05/26/13):  We are continuing our series on the Gospel of John.  This Lord's Day, we take up Jesus' words in John 8:58:  "Before Abraham was, I AM."

Sunday Afternoon:  Professor Ken Samples is leading our afternoon worship.  Our afternoon service begins @ 1:15 p.m. 

Wednesday Night Bible Study 7:00 p.m. (05/22/13):  We are continuing our series "Studies in the Book of Revelation."  This week, we will go through the letter to the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6).

The Academy will resume in the Fall of 2013

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

"The Truth Will Set You Free" -- John 8:31-47

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon (the twenty-ninth in a series on the Gospel of John):  Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

History & Christianity

Do we have any evidence about the existence of Jesus or the rise of Christianity from sources outside the New Testament? Is it true that passages about Jesus in the writings of Josephus have been proven to be fabrications? Joining the panel is historian Paul L. Maier, author of In The Fullness of Time and editor of Josephus: The Essential Works (originally aired June 27, 2010).

Click Here

The American Mind

People often ask me about good resources on intellectual history--much of this is spurred by our Friday night Academy class discussion as we go through Michael Horton's theology text, The Christian Faith.

I struggle with what to recommend--many resources are too difficult for some, or too hostile to the Christian faith.  But one set of lectures keeps coming to mind, and which people have found to be very helpful.

I am thinking about Allen C. Guelzo's lecture series "The American Mind" which was produced for The Teaching Company (Guelzo--The American Mind).  Guelzo is a great lecturer who consistently finds the right balance between mundane facts and primary sources, interesting background material, and his own interpretation of the data.  

Guelzo argues that the two streams which merge to form a distinctly "American mind" are Puritanism and the Enlightenment.  He develops this theme from America's founding through the First Great Awakening, the Jefferson/Jacksonian eras, the Civil War era, the Gilded Age, down to the present and Neo-Conservatism (a list of lecture titles can be found here:  (Guelzo--The American Mind).  The content is a bit difficult at places (if you don't have any background in history or philosophy), but using the study guide really helps.  And you can always listen more than once (which also helps).  Any course on the "American Mind" which includes the contributions of Hodge and the Old Princetonians, and mentions Machen is worth the time.

The Teaching Company courses often go on sale.  That would be the time to snag this one.

Guelzo has written a number of well-received books: [Jonathan] (Edwards on the Will), a stellar book on Abraham Lincoln (Redeemer President), a history of the Civil War (Fateful Lightning), as well as a new book on Gettysburg, which is at the top of my book pile. 

As a caveat, I have enjoyed a number of courses from The Teaching Company through the years (Greenberg's course on "How to Listen to Great Music" was especially good), but I do advise caution since they also feature Bart Ehrman's lectures on the New Testament and early church.

Hey, You Liberal Wusses!

From the Daily Mail On-Line (Click Here).

"Men who are physically strong are more likely to take a right wing political stance, while weaker men are inclined to support the welfare state, according to a new study.

Researchers discovered political motivations may have evolutionary links to physical strength.

Men's upper-body strength predicts their political opinions on economic redistribution, according to the research."

Well, that settles everything, doesn't it!  You gotta love what passes for journalism these days.  Undoubtedly, some (especially those on the right) will run with this as "proof" of what they've suspected all along.  Yet another sign of the lamentable state of current political discourse. 

I, for one, sure don't fit the "scientific" data.  I'm no fan of the welfare state.  I side with Hayek and Schumpeter over Keynes.  And let's just say that while I once held a record for the fastest time on an obstacle course, I'm good for one, maybe two, pull-ups these days.  And I'll be sore for a week for attempting them.  The six-pack is still there.  One is in the fridge, and the other is buried under a couple of inches of middle-age paunch.

B. B. Warfield and William James on the Difference Between Moralism and True Religion

In his short essay, "What Is Calvinism?" (from the Presbyterian, Mar. 2, 1904, 6-7), B. B. Warfield writes,

"`There is a state of mind' says Professor William James in his lectures on `The Varieties of Religious Experience,' `known to religious men, but to no others, in which the will to assert ourselves and hold our own has been displaced by a willingness to close our mouths and be as nothing in the floods and waterspouts of God.  [James] is describing what he looks upon as the truly religious mood over against what he calls `mere moralism'  `The moralist' he tells us, `must hold his breath and keep his muscles tense': and things go well with him only when he can do so.  The religious man, on the contrary, finds his consolation in his very powerlessness; his trust is not in himself but in his God; and the `hour of his moral death turns into his spiritual birthday."

Says Warfield in response, "the psychological analyst [William James] has caught the exact distinction between moralism and religion.  It is the distinction between trust in ourselves and trust in God.  And when trust in ourselves is driven entirely out, and trust in God comes in, in its purity, we have Calvinism.  Under the name of religion at its height, what Professor James has really described is therefore just Calvinism."

William James, by the way, once called himself a Methodist without the Savior.

Where Can You Get a Copy of My Lectio Continua Commentary on 1 Corinthians?

A number of you have asked me, "where can I get a copy of your new commentary?"

Here are the places I know of so far (and prices vary greatly)

You can order it directly from the publisher: Tolle Lege Press, Christian Reader

From Monergism:  Monergism.com

From the White Horse Inn Bookstore:  White Horse Inn bookstore

Westminster Seminary California bookstore:  Westminster Seminary California Bookstore

From Amazon:  Amazon

"Until He Comes" -- 1 Corinthians 11:17-26

The Nineteenth in a Series of Sermons on 1 Corinthians

In chapters 11-14 of 1 Corinthians, Paul gives us a fascinating account of what actually transpired during the worship service of an apostolic church.  From Paul’s account, it is clear that worship in the Corinthian church centered on the proclamation of Christ crucified, followed by the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.  The problem in Corinth is that the Corinthians were celebrating the Lord’s Supper in such a way that the Supper had become virtually indistinguishable from one of the banquets held in a pagan temple or guild hall.  Paul rebukes the Corinthians for this behavior in no uncertain terms.  Yet in doing so, Paul also spells out the meaning of the Lord’s Supper as well as informing us why the Supper occupies such an important role in Christian worship.  All and all, this is a fascinating passage and we’ll spend the next two sermons working our way through the balance of this chapter.

In First Corinthians 11:17-34, we have the earliest account of the Lord’s Supper in the entire New Testament.  Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was probably written about 54 A.D., before any of the canonical gospels had been written.  The Corinthian letter, therefore, gives us a very important insight into the Supper as it was celebrated from the earliest times.  The Lord’s Supper is the New Covenant equivalent of the Jewish Passover, and like the Passover, was celebrated as part of a larger fellowship meal, which followed what we might call the ordinary worship service. 
 
As we have seen in previous sermons on this letter, it is vital that we attempt to understand Paul’s discussion of the abuse of the Supper against the backdrop of Greco-Roman culture, with its emphasis upon feasting and communal meals.  Such meals were commonly celebrated in one of the pagan temples or guild halls throughout the city.  On the one hand, the Corinthians would have been very familiar with communal meals like that one instituted by Jesus on his last night together with his disciples.  Yet, on the other hand, the Corinthians would have dined only with those of the same social standing and profession, or with members of the same religious sect.  The Supper as instituted by Jesus was intended to unite God’s people around their common faith in Christ, not divide people along racial or socio-economic lines as was apparently the case in Corinth. 

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here